More than 70 percent of bat species subsist on insects. One little brown bat can eat 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour.

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More than 70 percent of bat species subsist on insects. One little brown bat can eat 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour.

Photo: Craig S. Hood, HONS

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Head startMany bats need a vertical drop to start flying, which is why they tend to roost so high

Head startMany bats need a vertical drop to start flying, which is why they tend to roost so high

Photo: HO

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They can see youBats are not blind – they have average sight but excellent senses of hearing and smell

They can see youBats are not blind – they have average sight but excellent senses of hearing and smell

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Crowded houseThe largest Mexican free-tailed bat colony in the world, at about 20 million bats, is in Bracken Bat Cave, about 30 miles from San Antonio. But the colony at the Waugh Bridge at Allen Parkway is no slouch either. less

Crowded houseThe largest Mexican free-tailed bat colony in the world, at about 20 million bats, is in Bracken Bat Cave, about 30 miles from San Antonio. But the colony at the Waugh Bridge at Allen Parkway is no ... more

Bats are food, tooThe main predators for bats are birds of prey, such as hawks and owls, when they're flying and small mammals and snakes when they're roosting.

Bats are food, tooThe main predators for bats are birds of prey, such as hawks and owls, when they're flying and small mammals and snakes when they're roosting.

Photo: Jacob McAdams

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Distinct baby smellsAs the bats emerge from their roost at night, they leave their pups behind. When they return, the mothers can find their pups among sometimes millions of other babies by smell and recognizing their baby's cries. less

Distinct baby smellsAs the bats emerge from their roost at night, they leave their pups behind. When they return, the mothers can find their pups among sometimes millions of other babies by smell and ... more

Photo: Suzanne Rehak, Freelance

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Speed demonsMexican free-tailed bats can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and fly 100-mile round trips looking for food at night.

Speed demonsMexican free-tailed bats can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and fly 100-mile round trips looking for food at night.

Come fly with meBats are the only true flying mammal. Others, such as flying squirrels, just glide.

Come fly with meBats are the only true flying mammal. Others, such as flying squirrels, just glide.

Photo: BILLY CALZADA, STAFF

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Supersize meBats come in all sizes, but the largest is the Malayan flying fox, with a wingspan of between 5 and 6 feet.

Supersize meBats come in all sizes, but the largest is the Malayan flying fox, with a wingspan of between 5 and 6 feet.

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In dangerMore than 250 species of bats are endangered. In North America, their numbers have been slashed by an epidemic of white-nose syndrome, a fungus.

In dangerMore than 250 species of bats are endangered. In North America, their numbers have been slashed by an epidemic of white-nose syndrome, a fungus.

Photo: Ben DeSoto, Staff

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Not so scaryVampire bats are real -- in South America. But they're not terribly scary. They make small V-shaped cuts in cattle or deer and lap up their blood.

Not so scaryVampire bats are real -- in South America. But they're not terribly scary. They make small V-shaped cuts in cattle or deer and lap up their blood.

Photo: Gregory Costanzo, Getty Images

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Mommy and meLarge numbers of mothers and babies will live together.

Mommy and meLarge numbers of mothers and babies will live together.

Photo: Kathy Adams Clark

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Worldwide batsBats can be found everywhere except the polar regions, extreme deserts and some islands.

Worldwide batsBats can be found everywhere except the polar regions, extreme deserts and some islands.

Photo: Kathy Adams Clark

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9 reasons, despite Halloween, to love bats

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Halloween is a great time to be spooked by bats. After all, they fly at night and generally just seem frightening. Or, as the poet Theodore Roethke said, "For something is amiss or out of place/ When mice with wings can wear a human face."

But is that justified? Here are some facts about bats that should make you think twice.